When I look in the mirror, I see someone who's happy with how he looks, because I was never one of the handsome Hollywood people. And I've had success as I've gotten older, because I'm able to play characters. I no longer get the girl, but I get the part.

My problem was that I was blond. There were no heroes with blond hair. Robert Taylor and Henry Fonda, they all had dark hair. The only one I found was Van Johnson, who wasn't too cool. He was a nice, homely American boy. So I created my own image. It worked.

I don't meet stockbrokers or carpenters or coal miners; I spend all day with actors, composers and photographers.

I'm a sort of boy next door. If that boy has a good scriptwriter.

I don't see myself as anything. I just wander around getting on with my life.

Just because I have made a point of never losing my accent it doesn't mean I'm an eel-and-pie yob.

There are loads of black actors.You can't say: I'm going to vote for him, he's not very good but he's black, [so] I'll vote for him. You've got to give a good performance.